Local Church in Wilmington hosts Christmas Eve dinner for anybody

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)– “Not everybody has a place to be on Christmas, so we wanted a place to come on Christmas Eve “, said Pastor Tim Reaves at Pine Valley Methodist Church.

On Christmas Eve, thousands of meals were prepared and handed out to community members who visited the church located at 3788 shipyard boulevard. They didn’t stop there, as Reaves then invited anybody and everybody to sit down and enjoy a Christmas Eve Dinner.

“Folks can come in today and take as many plates as they need and have some for tomorrow”, said Reaves.

The outreach wasn’t only limited to Christmas Eve, as throughout the week of Christmas; to boost the holiday spirit, Church members also handed out hot meals to shelters, nursing homes, recovery houses, and fire stations.

For 18 years, the tradition has been going on, and Reaves knows hosting a Christmas Eve can help lighten the mood for some people.

“We know Christmas can be a tough time for a lot of folks, either they are grieving, hurting or any different ways. When you serve others, it brings joy to you as well,” said Reaves.

Caroline Dolan, a member of the church, has been going to the dinner for years. Dolan says she has made a new family because of it.

“There is a little group of us that come, a couple of us don’t have family, we kind of call this our family. We will have our real family tomorrow, but this is a fun one to have,” said Dolan.

Dolan hopes to see more people next year and welcomes anybody with open arms.

“We want people to feel welcome and that they are not alone for Christmas, they have got family here, and we would love them to join us anytime”, said Reaves.

After the Dinner, the Church had service and walked out to Christmas Day.